


When You Wish Upon A Star

by CraftyK13



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Kinky sex, Romance, Slow Burn, i've got it bad for the winter soldier so here ya go, post winter soldier, there's smut ahead, this is a shameless self insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-04 16:44:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17308166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CraftyK13/pseuds/CraftyK13
Summary: Historian Dr. Elle Morgan is approached by none other than Tony Stark to teach history. To whom? Captain America and his friend, Bucky Barnes, in exchange for top-secret government files for her research. Why does Elle get the sense that information about a mysterious assassin is being kept from her? What happens when she finds out who the Winter Soldier is?Bucky Barnes x OFC. Slow-burn.





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

“Come on, we’re gonna be late!” Elle rolled her eyes and carefully stepped into her heels. She took one last look in the mirror and deemed the pencil-skirt and deep green blouse good enough for the occasion. Grabbing her things, Elle met her roommate by the front door. “Took you long enough,” she said, buttoning up her coat.

“I’m sorry, do you see this eyeliner?” Elle asked, stepping out of the apartment and locking the door behind them. “You can’t rush a masterpiece, Dee.” The raven-haired beauty glared at Elle.

“Oh, your highness, forgive me for actually wanting to be on-time to work for once.” Elle scoffed.

“We’ll be just fine. I’m driving today, in case you forgot,” she said, leading the way down the hall to the elevator.

“Ah, so we’re going to be early then, with your manic driving,” Dee commented, admiring her nails as they rode down to the garage.

“I don’t drive that bad,” Elle replied. Dee cocked a perfectly arched brow in a “I-don’t-know-about-that” manner. “I don’t!”

“Who here has gotten more speeding tickets than she has dates in the last three years?” Dee asked, stepping out of the elevator. The two of them got in Elle’s car and buckled in.

“It’s not my fault that all of the people in this town are stupid and everyone drives like an idiot,” Elle said, backing out and driving out of the garage. Dee “tsked” at Elle, checking her phone.

Regardless of Dee’s teasing, the two of them made it to the office early, Elle having only ran two red lights as opposed to her usual four or five. Dee waved ‘goodbye’ as she went to her receptionist desk while Elle kept going to the elevator.

In her office, Elle threw down her purse and jacket on the chair in front of her desk and plopped down in her cozy seat. She spent a good chunk of the morning responding to congratulatory emails about the article she had just gotten published. Her supervisor, Dr. Matthew Elias, knocked on her open office door. Elle smiled up at him, beckoning him to have a seat.

“Hi, Matt, how was your trip?” she asked, taking off her reading glasses. Matt sat down and took a sip of his coffee before answering.

“It was good! The kids had a great time, they loved the beach,” he replied, looking noticeably more tan. “Henry and I actually got to sleep in most of the time because they were so tuckered out.”

“I’m glad. How did Charlie and Caitlin like their gifts?”

“They loved the sand-castle kit the most, I think. That’s all they wanted to do, aside from bury me in the sand and give me a mermaid tail,” Matt said, chuckling. Elle smiled fondly at the thought of him in a seashell bra and tail made of sand. Charlie and Caitlin were basically Elle’s nephew and niece with her being as close to them as she was. Elle loved to dote on them and spoil them with presents, much to the chagrin of their parents.

“I thought they might. Well, welcome back to the real world,” she said. “We missed you.”

“I missed you too, Elle. As much fun as the sunshine and beach were, I’m happy to be back. I really want to try to finish that project on Charles II this month.”

“I’m excited to read all about it! You know how much I love Restoration theatre,” Elle said. Matt nodded.

“I know, I know. You still working on that piece about famous unsolved assassinations and mysterious deaths post World War II?”

“Yeah! There’s a lot of information that just isn’t there, though, which is to be expected. I’m hoping to get clearance from the FBI to look through their records to try and connect some of the dots, but it’s been three weeks and they haven’t responded to any of my emails,” Elle said, frustrated.

“I hope it all goes well for you. Uh, what time are you going to lunch, by the way?” he asked. Elle furrowed her brows in confusion.

“I don’t know, maybe one or one thirty? Why?”

“Just curious. Well, I’ve got to get back to work. These Restoration comedies aren’t going to analyze themselves!” Elle bid him good luck and went back to work herself, pouring over a book on secret government agencies.

For lunch, Elle went to the cute French bakery across the street and got a coffee and a sandwich with some of her favorite earl grey flavored macarons. She had just closed the door to her office when an all too familiar, yet surprising, face greeted her from behind her desk.

“Hello, Dr. Morgan. You brought me coffee? How sweet,” said Tony Stark, who had been clearly looking through her computer. Elle nearly dropped the aforementioned beverage in shock.

“Uh, hi, Mr. Stark,” was all she could manage. Tony grinned up at her and motioned to the chair in front of her desk. Elle slowly sat down and had to put her lunch on the desk in order to avoid dropping it.

“Now, you might be wondering why I’m here, in this sub-par office building, going through your things, but that will all be explained as soon as you can answer my question,” Tony said, resting his chin on his hands. Elle nodded, eyes wide. “Why do you have a functioning mini-guillotine on your desk? I mean, isn’t that a bit threatening to visitors?” Elle let out an awkward laugh at the unexpected question.

“It was a gift after I graduated with my bachelors degree because I had a strange fascination with guillotines. I wrote a ten page paper on them and why they became the symbol of revolution,” she answered, a little more relaxed. Tony nodded his head thoughtfully.

“Still weird,” he said. “Anyway, I have a proposition for you, Doc. You see, I have a couple of people who are in need of a teacher. They need to learn a lot about the world and things that have happened since, say, World War II.” Elle straightened in her chair.

“Are you talking about-” she began but was cut off by Tony.

“Captain America? Yes, and a close buddy of his. But this is all top secret stuff, Doc. I can’t tell you anything more unless you say right now that you’re in.” Elle bit the inside of her cheek, thoughts racing at a mile a minute.

“So, you just need me to teach history? Why me? Why not an actual teacher?” she asked.

“Because you’re unbiased in your writing and analysis. Congrats on that article in _History Today_ , by the way. Who knew that the wool trade could be so interesting?” Tony said, leaning forward a bit. “You also graduated top of your class for every degree you’ve pursued. Fluent in Latin, French, and currently learning Spanish, you already have more accolades and awards than most 28 year olds.

“Also, if you accept the job, I’ll grant you access to the records you want for your little project,” Tony added. “Working with the Avengers does have its perks.” Elle’s mouth was open in shock. Quickly debating herself internally, she decided that she would have to be the world’s biggest idiot to not take the job. She nodded, finally.

“I’ll do it,” she said. Tony flashed Elle a megawatt smile in return.

“Great! Come by Avenger’s Tower, say six o’clock tomorrow night? We’ll have dinner and I’ll introduce you to your new students and then we can go over some business over drinks.”

“Yeah, uh, ok,” Elle said, stunned at how quickly this was all moving. Tony stood up and offered his hand to shake. Elle also stood and shook it in disbelief. He clapped her on the shoulder and went out her office.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night! I hope you like lasagne,” he said, disappearing around the corner. Elle stood there, frozen for a few minutes, while she tried to process everything. Matt poked his head in, a shit-eating grin on his face. Understanding dawned on Elle and she picked up a pencil and threw it at him. It hit him in the chest and he burst into laughter.

“You knew, didn’t you? This morning when you came in, you knew that Tony fucking Stark would come by today? That’s why you asked me what time I was going to lunch! You asshole!” she cried. Matt nodded.

“I got an email while I was flying back in yesterday about a job offer for you. He asked if you would take it if he offered and I knew it would be too good to resist, especially with the possibility of getting access to those files for your project. I told him to come by today and ask you in person,” Matt responded. Elle shook her head and tried to stay mad, but she was too excited.

“I can’t believe you,” she said. “Dick.”

“You’re taking the job, though, right?”

“Of course I’m taking the job! I’m not that stupid, you know,” Elle bit back, smiling. Matt enveloped her in a hug.

“Congrats, Elle. I’m proud of you and all the work you’ve accomplished to get here. I know your grandmother would be proud,” he said. Elle thought about her gran and knew he was right. Estella Jane Franke, Elle’s namesake, pushed her to study history ever since she was a kid.

EJ, as everyone called her, always said that those who didn’t understand history were doomed to repeat it. She was a nurse during World War II and saw many of the horrors that befell innocent people caught up in a war they didn’t want to be in. She fought for equal rights for everyone and was very vocal about her beliefs, which had earned her a few nights in jail after some protests had gone awry. Elle grew up with these stories and yearned to be as badass as EJ, and got her PhD in history because of her.

The rest of the day went by quickly and Elle found herself in the lobby of the building, waiting for Dee to close up shop. As receptionist, Dee had to be the first one there, but could leave once official business hours were over. Elle often stayed way past when the office closed, either reading or writing depending on what stage of research she was in.

“Ready?” Dee asked, holding open the door. Elle nodded and they made their way to the car. Once on the road, Elle finally broke the silence.

“So I got a job offer,” she said.

“What? Tell me!” Dee gasped. Elle gave her all the details and Dee bounced excitedly in her seat. “Shut up, shut up, shut up!” she exclaimed. “That’s amazing, Elle!”

“I’m really excited,” Elle admitted, turning the corner. Traffic wasn’t too bad, which was one thing Elle liked about this town. They lived about an hour outside of New York City, which meant they were close enough for it to be a fun weekend getaway, but far enough that the hustle and bustle of the big city didn’t bother them.

“You have every right to be. That’s so fucking cool. I’m proud of you,” Dee said, patting Elle’s arm. Elle smiled at her in thanks and turned her attention back to the road. “So you’re going over tomorrow to talk shop, right?”

“We’re having dinner and I get to meet Steve Rogers and the other person I’m teaching,” Elle said. Dee was in awe.

“Oh you’re so lucky. I’d do anything to be up close and personal with that man,” she said, licking her lips.

“Don’t be nasty!” Elle admonished. “He’s going to be my student. No matter how attractive he is, he’s off limits.”

“Oh, boo! You are such a snooze, Elle Morgan.” Elle scoffed.

“Sorry I’m trying to maintain a professional career, here,” she replied.

“I’m just trying to be a good friend and get you someone! God knows you need a good lay, woman.”

“My love life is of none of your concern, Delia Lynn Peterson! I do quite well for myself, thank you very much.”

“When was the last time you had sex?” Dee questioned. Elle grit her teeth. “Or even got drinks with someone?”

“A...a while,” Elle admitted. The truth was that she was so busy with her work that she hadn’t had time to date. She got drinks with a girl a while back, but both of their schedules didn’t allow for much down time. They parted ways mutually, in agreement that they were just too busy. Elle occasionally saw her pop up on her social media, posting about this and that, but Elle didn’t have the time for a relationship.

“See? I’m just looking out for you, babe,” Dee said.

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m just so busy all the time and tired from work that going out is such a chore.”

“I get it. When Ryan and I started dating, he was finishing up with school, so he still had classes and work and all kinds of stuff he had to do and he was constantly exhausted. It was hard, but when he graduated, he was able to take time off and relax for a bit before getting his “big-kid” job. Maybe you just need to take it easy for a while? Enjoy life? I know how important your work is to you, but Elle, you’re going to exhaust yourself by the time you’re thirty.

“Doing things for you is just as important as your career. I’m not staying drop everything and go search for love, but I don’t know, maybe take on less of a workload. Maybe this new job will give you time to do all those things you’ve always wanted to do,” Dee said.

Elle considered what she was saying and knew on some level that she was right. Elle had been going to school and working constantly for the past ten years trying to establish herself as a historian. She worked tirelessly to get a position at the Preston Historical Institute, a well-known organization that hired only the best historians to work on contracted projects for things like films, TV shows, law firms, and even scientific endeavors, among many others. Elle was hired when she was in the middle of her doctorate program and was then given a coveted office and lead research position when she graduated. This is what she thought she wanted to do for the rest of her life, but the last several years at the institute had been beyond stressful. Elle thought that she was done with school and deadlines when she walked across that stage, but her work just seemed to pile on more and more as time went on.

“And who knows,” Dee continued, “maybe you’ll meet someone who will make everything worthwhile. You won’t know unless you occasionally take your nose out of those books, Elle,” she finished gently. Elle nodded.

“I don’t say this often, but you’re right,” she admitted. Dee gently swatted her arm and Elle giggled. “New job, new me. Maybe it is time to turn over a new leaf. I’ve always wanted to do ballet, you know.”

“See! That’s what I’m talking about! Learn some ballet, get fucked, and have a good time.” Elle shook her head as she pulled into the garage of their apartment building.

“You’ve got such a dirty fucking mouth, Dee,” Elle said, turning off the car.

“Yeah, but you know you love me,” Dee replied, throwing her inky black tresses over her shoulder.

“Only because no one else puts up with my shenanigans.” Dee slung an arm around Elle’s shoulders, the latter being several inches taller than her, so it made it a bit awkward.

“Damn straight.”


	2. Chapter 2

 

* * *

The next day went far too slow for Elle’s liking. Every time she looked at the clock, time seemed to halt. Lunch eventually came and went and she managed to eat a few snacks despite the butterflies she felt. She got an email from Tony around 2:30 telling her to park her car in front of the tower and that someone would park it for her so she didn’t have to fight through the hell that was inner-city parking. He also said to bring her appetite, as he had a big meal planned, but Elle wasn’t sure that she would be able to eat much, with her being so nervous.

Finally, the clock struck four and Elle packed up her things. She waved goodbye to Matt, who yelled after her to “have a good time!” as she walked by his office. Dee had hung up the phone when Elle arrived downstairs and smiled at her.

“Say ‘hi’ to the Captain for me,” she said, waggling her eyebrows. Elle rolled her eyes and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll see you later,” Elle replied, ignoring her friend’s request. The ride into the city was fairly smooth until she hit the outer limits and the traffic that came with it. It took every ounce of self control for Elle to not open the bottle of wine she had brought along for dinner and chug it. She really _hated_ slow drivers and the city was full of them.

At last, Elle made it to the tower and parked in front, as instructed. A helpful young boy approached her and helped her out of the car. Elle gave him the keys and smoothed her dress, looking up in trepidation. Biting her lip, Elle stepped inside and was greeted by the receptionist.

“Welcome to Avengers Tower. Do you have an appointment?” he asked. Elle nodded and found her voice.

“Yes, with Mr. Stark at six o’clock.”

“Excellent. Dr. Morgan if you’d like to place your hand here,” he said, holding up a tablet. Elle put her hand on the cool glass and watched machine scan it. “You can make your way to the elevator and the machine will be able to read your handprint and direct you to the correct floor.”

“Great, thanks so much,” Elle said, making her way to the elevator. The doors closed and she put her hand on the scanner.

“Welcome, Dr. Morgan,” a male voice said. “I am JARVIS, the AI system. You are being taken to the residence for your appointment with Mr. Stark.”

“Thank you,” Elle said, startled at the formless voice. A few moments later, the doors opened and revealed a very spacious living space. Down a short flight of stairs and to her right was a lounge area with couches and armchairs. Further ahead was a pool table. To her left was a bar that had bottles lining the entire wall, Tony’s personal collection, no doubt. Straight ahead, a wall of glass displayed the most breathtaking view of New York City Elle had ever seen. This place must have cost him a pretty penny, seeing as vertical real-estate was crazy expensive, especially in big cities like this.

Taking a few hesitant steps forward, her heels ‘clicking’ on the floor, Elle admired the design of the space. It was very modern and high tech, typical, seeing as it belonged to Tony Stark.

“Doc! Welcome, welcome,” said the man himself, descending a staircase just ahead. He was dressed in slacks and a button up, the top few buttons undone. Elle was glad that she picked one of her nicer dresses to wear that morning.

“Mr. Stark, it’s beautiful,” Elle said, gesturing around her.

“I know right,” Tony replied. “And it’s Tony, by the way. Mr. Stark was my father. Can I take your coat?” he offered. Elle shrugged off the material and handed it to him. “Come on upstairs, we’ll be eating in the family dining room.” Tony led the way up the glass stairs and Elle followed.

The upper floor of the residence had a loft overlooking the open floor plan downstairs. This area contained another lounge area with a large TV and several gaming consoles. A desk sat facing the wall of windows and a high-tech computer was on top, most likely for games. Two large men, if you could call them that, sat on the leather couches. One Elle recognized immediately, his blond hair and bright blue eyes a dead giveaway. The other had longer dark hair and scruff along his jaw. His eyes weren’t lit up and he seemed rather subdued in comparison to the literal ball of sunshine next to him.

“Boys, this is Dr. Morgan,” Tony introduced. He draped Elle’s coat over an armchair and took the bottle of wine from her hands. “Ah, Zinfandel. He and I are old friends. I’m going to check on the food and open this guy up. I’ll be right back. Feel free to socialize.” Tony waggled his fingers and then disappeared into what Elle assumed was the kitchen. She turned to the two brick-shithouses in front of her and gave them a nervous grin. Steve stood up and shook her hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Morgan,” he said, dazzling her with a smile.

“Call me, Elle, please,” she responded. The other man raised his hand in greeting but did not move to get up.

“This is Bucky,” Steve said. “We’re really grateful that you took this on. We both are.” Steve gave a pointed look at Bucky and Elle pretended not to notice. Bucky rolled his eyes and looked at Elle.

“Nice to meet you,” he said gruffly. Elle nodded her head and didn’t try to push him into a conversation.

“I have wine!” Tony announced, entering the room and thus breaking the awkwardness that had brewed. He set down a tray with four glasses and poured some wine into one, handing it to Elle first, then another to Steve. Bucky refused his wine and Tony just shrugged. “More for me,” he mumbled. Elle sipped at hers, enjoying the taste. They made small-talk for a bit until a timer beeped from the kitchen and Tony urged everyone to stand up and follow him.

He led them all to a dining room, set for four, but the table could easily hold fourteen. Steve pulled out a chair for Elle and she thanked him, cheeks flushing as she sat. He took his place next to Bucky, across from her. Tony sat down at the head of the table and began serving everyone salad.

They tucked in and Elle didn’t realize how hungry she was until she quickly finished her plate.

“So, Doc,” Tony began. “How’d you get interested in history?” he asked, munching on a crouton. Elle wiped at her mouth with the napkin and then put it back in her lap.

“Well, my grandmother always supported me in my studies, but really pushed for me to pursue history. She lived through World War II and saw the horrors that incurred. I suppose that she wanted future generations to learn from that and ensure that America didn’t repeat the same mistakes. My area of expertise isn’t American history though, funnily enough,” Elle said, wanting to continue but stopped herself short. People were often bored by history and didn’t care for it, so she had quickly learned to spare them the details.

“What do you specialize in?” Steve asked, looking as if he earnestly wanted to know more. The corner’s of Elle’s mouth quirked upwards.

“Throughout my undergraduate career, I fell in love with personal journals and letters that were written, particularly letters to lovers or loved ones. There’s just a lot of beautiful writing that often goes unnoticed by scholars, being passed off as just stupid little love notes,” she said, gaining momentum. Elle sat up straighter in her seat as she got more passionate. “Personal letters and other forms of writing are where you can learn the most about a person. You can learn how they loved people and that hasn’t changed across time. It’s really beautiful, I think, to see how constant love is throughout history; words may have changed but the sentiments are persistent,” Elle finished. The three men just stared at her for a moment, causing her to flush. “Sorry, I know that’s pretty mushy and boring, but-” she was interrupted.

“It’s fascinating,” Bucky said quietly. Steve nodded in agreement.

“You’re clearly very passionate about this and the world needs more of that.” Elle’s flush deepened almost as red as her hair and she could feel how warm her cheeks were getting. She wasn’t used to compliments about her work outside the academic community, especially from very handsome men.

“Dinner’s ready,” Tony said, rising from his seat. Elle took another drink of her wine and listened to Steve talk about how the world was lacking in people who were excited about their jobs. Something that was very different from the forties, apparently. Elle suspected that was because the economy was booming because of the war and despite that, people were much happier than they currently were. The economy was very different in the modern era and many people were working themselves into the ground in order to stay afloat. She didn’t know Steve well enough to engage in a friendly discussion about how the forties were the golden years and that the baby boomers had ruined a lot for future generations.

Tony returned shortly with two large casserole dishes and gently placed them on the table. He served Elle a portion and she nearly swooned at the smell alone. Cheese was a weakness for her and even though she was incredibly lactose intolerant, she loved it too much to care. Once everyone had been served, Elle dug in, holding in a moan of pleasure. The lasagne was delicious and she knew she would be having seconds, maybe even thirds. At first, Elle didn’t know why Tony had made so much, but as soon as she saw Steve and Bucky tear through an entire dish by themselves, she understood. Elle made a mental note that if she ever had to cook for them, to quadruple the recipe.

For dessert, Tony had picked up a chocolate cake and Elle thought she was going to explode. She ate the cake happily, but regretted her choice as soon as she set down her fork. Thankfully, she wore a flared skirt-dress, so no one could see how full she was. Bucky and Steve ate half the cake and Tony had cut himself a large piece, so there was only a dainty sliver left.

“You can take that home if you want, Elle,” Tony said, leaning back in his chair. “There will be wrestling matches over who gets to eat it if it stays here.”

“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to make it home,” she said, mimicking Tony’s posture. “That was delicious, Tony, thank you. I’ll have to steal that recipe from you.”

“Good luck,” Steve said. “Tony refuses to share any and all of his cooking recipes.”

“I’m sure I could think of a few ways to loosen his tongue,” Elle quipped, not realizing how dirty that sounded until it was too late. “I-I mean, I-I,” she stuttered, flushing, once again. _Great,_ she thought. _There goes that professionalism, straight out the window along with my dignity_. Steve and Tony laughed and Bucky managed a tiny grin.

“Saucy little minx, aren’t we?” Tony asked. “It’s a shame that I am happily taken, otherwise I would take you up on your offer. My recipe, however, is a family secret, one that I will fight to the death for.”

“Understandable. Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so crass, it must be the wine,” Elle apologized, covering her cheeks with her hands.

“Elle, we’ve heard worse. In fact, Tony has said worse, isn’t that right?” Steve accused, crossing his arms. Tony had the audacity to look hurt.

“Me? Never,” he said, touching a hand to his chest. Steve quirked a brow at that but was still amused, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“That’s a lie and you know it, Stark,” Bucky admonished. That was the most he’d said all evening and Elle looked up at him in surprise. “Wasn’t it just the other day that you were telling me all about some reporter that you’d gotten trapped in an elevator with and the two of you started-” he was cut off by Tony standing up.

“Anyways! I think it’s time the good doctor and I discussed the terms of her employment. Why don’t you two chuckleheads clean up and make her a doggie bag?” he instructed. Elle stood up and followed Tony into a room she assumed to be his office. She sat down on the plush armchair and he sat in the one across from her. He gestured to the bottle of liquor beside him. “Nightcap?” he asked. Elle shook her head.

“No, thank you, I still have a long drive ahead of me,” she said politely. Tony nodded and poured himself a healthy dose of amber liquid, scotch by the smell of it. He pulled out a folder from the table next to him and opened it up.

“All righty, here’s your typical NDA, nothing wonky in it, just don’t spill the beans about what you’re doing and if you do, I’ll sue you for everything you’re worth and you’ll go to jail. But feel free to peruse at your leisure. Sign the dotted line when your done and you can fax that to me in the next couple of days,” said Tony, handing her the folder. Elle nodded and quickly read over it, signing at the end of the packet. She gave it back to him. “Basically, you’ll be teaching those two history. Anything post World War II and whatever you think is necessary. You know Steve’s story, I’m assuming?” Tony asked.

“He took the super soldier serum that Dr. Erskine created in the forties, did a propaganda tour across the US, then while he was in Europe doing a tour, he went off to save the 107th that had been captured by the enemy,” Elle rattled off. Tony nodded, urging her to continue. “Then he began fighting on the front lines with the Howling Commandos. In 1945 he went down in an accident and the freezing temperatures acted as a sort of cryo-freeze. He woke in 2012 after being discovered by the government,” she finished.

“All correct. Because you’ve signed the NDA, I can tell you more. Bucky is Steve’s best friend,” Tony said, “from childhood.” Elle’s eyebrows shot up.

“Childhood? I thought Steve was the only one to have been successfully injected with the serum?” she asked.

“In 1943, a one James Buchanan Barnes of the 107th was captured by the enemy and experimented on. They used a prototype similar to Dr. Erskine’s formula and injected him with it. In 1945, during a mission, he fell off a train and into the icy waters at the base of the Swiss Alps. The serum helped him survive,” Tony said.

“Who found him? And when? How long has he been awake?” Elle asked, firing questions at him in rapid succession. Tony waved his hand at her.

“It’s all very vague, but the government did and kept him in cryo and now he’s out, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy. But in order to do so, he needs to be caught up on history,” Tony explained. Something seemed off about his story, but Elle couldn’t see any reason why he would lie to her, so she took him for his word and nodded.

“That’s just, wow,” she said. Two super soldiers, both older than her, older than her gran, needed to be taught history.

“It’s certainly something,” Tony said. “At any rate, twice a week, you’ll give them three hour lessons. That schedule is subject to change, however, depending on their missions. There might be times when there won’t be any lessons for a week or two or there might be a week where you do lessons every day,” he said, shrugging. “It just depends. I’ll try to get you their schedules as much in advance as I can. You’ll have your own office in the tower where you can lesson plan and then a classroom where you can teach. The office will be on the same floor as my lab, so if you ever need anything, I’m just down the hall.

“The classroom is just next door,” Tony added, pointing to the wall across from them. Elle nodded again.

“And in the down time, I’ll be given access to the government files I requested?”

“Yes. You can work on your research here as well.” Tony got up and started stretching. “The residence will be open to you, as will the facilities within. Cook whatever you want, use the gym, the pool, whatever. You’ll have clearance to come and go as you please, but the only stipulation is no visitors in the residence. You can have guests in your office, but they need to check in with the front desk.”

“Sounds like a good deal. And my compensation?” she asked, knowing they had come to the part in the conversation that made most people uncomfortable. Elle knew the value of her work and her expertise, so she wanted to make sure she was going to be paid accordingly. Tony smiled at her.

“Direct. It’s refreshing, actually, to not toe around the subject. How does ten a month sound?” he asked, bending at the waist to touch his toes. Elle felt her mouth drop open.

“Ten? As in ten-thousand?” she asked. Tony grunted from his position and gradually rose up.

“Is that not enough? I’d be willing to go to fifteen if you think that’s more suitable,” he said. Elle shook her head.

“Ten is fine, thank you. Is there a contract that I need to sign?”

“It’s on my desk, if you don’t mind grabbing it,” Tony answered, bringing his arm above his head. Elle got up and found the paperwork, looking through it briefly. It was a standard employment contract, stating the rules that Tony had just gone over, plus a few more that were just common sense, i.e. no coming to work intoxicated, giving the Avengers bad publicity, etc. She found a pen and signed her full name with a flourish and dated it. Tony swung around and extended his hand to her. “Welcome aboard,” he said, grinning. Elle smiled back at him and the two of them exited his office.

“Here’s the classroom,” Tony said, opening a door and turning on a light. Inside there were work tables and a few computers lined up against the wall. A projector was affixed to the ceiling and pointed at a whiteboard that had a roll of maps and a pull-down screen. It was very much your typical school classroom, something that comforted Elle. The walls were bare, though, and Elle knew that would have to change if she were to be spending any length of time inside. She made her second mental note of the evening to go shopping and get some things to spruce the place up a bit.

Tony continued the tour, showing Elle the main bathroom, gym, sauna, pool, pointing out the various bedrooms that belonged to the members of the Avengers, and they ended up in the kitchen, where Steve and Bucky were finishing the dishes. Two to-go boxes were sitting on the counter with her name on them. The boys turned around at their arrival, Steve covered in dishwater and Bucky bone dry. Elle quirked a brow at this and Steve chuckled.

“I bet Bucky that I could finish my half of the dishes faster than him and it got a bit messy,” he said.

“I didn’t even try, I just wanted to see him make a fool outta himself,” Bucky responded flatly, crossing his arms. Elle laughed.

“Oh, you two are going to be something else, aren’t you?” she asked. “I guess I better get going. It’s pretty late and I still have work in the morning.”

The four of them said their goodbyes and Tony walked Elle down to the elevator.

“I’ll see you in two weeks, then?” he asked. Elle nodded, holding onto her to-go boxes.

“Yup. I have to give my boss the standard two-week notice then I’ll be ready to start.”

“All right, well, take care. Call me if you need anything,” Tony said, bidding her a good night. Elle rode the elevator down and said goodnight to JARVIS when she got out.

The drive home was nice and quiet once she got out of the city. Elle actually enjoyed the deserted roads, as it gave her time to think.

Dee greeted her at the front door, practically jumping up and down at how excited she was to hear about everything.

“Can I pee first, please?” Elle asked, putting her leftovers away. Dee rolled her eyes but nodded and Elle rushed to the bathroom to relieve herself. She also took the opportunity to change into her pajamas and take off her makeup. Once comfortable, Elle sat down on the couch to fill Dee in on how her night went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So y'all met my two favorite brick-shithouses. I'm so excited to write some more of this bc of all the headcannon's I've read over the last several years about these goofballs. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! <3  
> -KC


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

 

Two weeks didn’t seem like a very long time, at least not to Elle at this point in her life. Time flew by and the next thing she knew, she was packing her car for her first day at the tower. She had gone shopping the weekend before to get supplies for the classroom and some decor for the bare walls. The final project she had been working on for the institute was done within a week, which gave Elle the remainder of her two weeks to pack up her office and start lesson planning. 

Today, Elle was going to go through the rules and give Bucky and Steve the syllabus she had created, then do a survey to see what they knew and what they didn’t so Elle knew what to focus on and for how long. She couldn’t do lesson plans very far in advance, as their schedules were subject to change on a dime and didn’t want to do all this work just to have it be swept aside. Two-week lesson plans were as far as Elle went in her prep. She would start with World War II, just to make sure the two of them knew just exactly what their hard work did for the world, and go from there. 

All of this prep reminded Elle of her time in grad school when she taught a few basic history classes as part of her graduation requirements. Then, she taught boisterous college students, most of whom were only taking the course as part of their own graduation requirements, so they didn’t put much effort into their work and often didn’t pay any attention in class. There were a few exceptions, as there always were, but they were few and far between. 

Elle arrived at the tower a little after eight in the morning and gathered up all of her things, boxes and bags precariously balanced in her arms as she towed a rolling bag behind her. She made it to the elevator and rode up to the residence, suddenly remembering that she would have to take stairs to get to the classroom and groaned out loud. 

“Damn it,” she muttered. The doors opened and Elle managed to get her and her things out of the elevator. The stairs would prove tricky and Elle only wanted to make one trip; her hubris wouldn’t allow for anything less. Squaring her shoulders, Elle grabbed hold of her rolling bag and carefully maneuvered her way up the stairs, heels and all. She would have made it, if her toe hadn’t caught on the top step, causing her to stumble and fall forward with a cry. Her knee connected to the ground and Elle saw stars. All of the boxes in her arms came tumbling down and their contents spilled out. Groaning, Elle sat and pitied herself for a minute before getting up and gathering all her supplies. The sound of footsteps approached and she looked up to see who was coming towards her. 

Bucky looked down at Elle and must have not been impressed by what he saw, as he scoffed and bent down to help her. Elle’s cheeks reddened and she grit her teeth in embarrassment, continuing to shove things in boxes and bags. They worked in silence, Elle regaining some semblance of composure before standing to face him. 

“Thanks,” she managed to get out, straightening her skirt. 

“Maybe next time be more careful,” he bit back, putting some of her things on the coffee table before marching out of the living area. Elle stood, a bit offended at his brisk demeanor, which was a big change from how he acted at dinner two weeks ago. She thought he had warmed up to her throughout the course of the meal, but apparently she was wrong. 

Huffing, Elle made her way to the classroom and dropped off her first load of supplies then quickly went back to the living room for the rest, casting furtive glances around the halls in order to avoid Bucky. 

She closed the door to the classroom and plugged in her music, stepping out of her heels. For the next few hours, Elle hung posters around the room, created a supply station, connected her laptop to the projector to make sure she knew how it worked, and made the classroom her own. 

At one point in her life, Elle wondered what it would be like to be a teacher, molding the minds of children, but that ambition was drained from her the moment she began student teaching. At least with Bucky and Steve (she desperately hoped), they seemed to want lessons and would most likely be more enthusiastic about everything and put in the work. 

Finally pleased with her new classroom, Elle took her rolling bag and went down to her new office to set things up there. She had far too many books to bring in all at once, so her office wouldn’t be completely set up for a few more days, but Elle got a decent head start by putting her laptop on her new desk and a few knick-knacks there as well. 

She spent the rest of the morning into the early afternoon getting ready for the day’s lesson, printing out the copies of the syllabus and assignments she would have them do. As the lesson drew nearer, Elle grew increasingly more nervous. 

Elle went back upstairs, papers in hand, on a mission to make coffee before being stuck in a room with Bucky and Steve for the next few hours. On second thought, since it would just be the three of them, maybe coffee wasn’t the best idea, as they would be in close quarters and coffee breath was the worst thing about school, Elle recalled. She opted to instead get a bottle of water from the fridge and then went inside the classroom to wait for her students. 

Steve entered right on time and Bucky trailed in behind him, the latter seemed to be sulking. They took their spots at the long work tables, a chair in-between them to give themselves more room. Elle smiled at them. 

“Welcome,” she said, passing out the syllabus. Elle sat on a table she had moved to the front of the room so she could sit and talk to them without having to stand the whole time, something she really hated about teaching in college. “I drew up a set of rules for the classroom and I’ll give you a bit to read over them. Feel free to ask any questions throughout this,” she added. The boys began reading and Steve finished first a few minutes later. 

“So there’s no formal homework or anything?” he asked. Elle shrugged. 

“Yes and no. I won’t give you essays or make you do any work sheets outside of this class time since there aren’t any grades, but I will occasionally ask you to read a book or a document or watch a film so we can discuss it in another lesson. Homework really isn’t beneficial in terms of learning and I know you guys are busy with saving the world and whatnot, and I don’t want to make this stressful. Learning is supposed to be fun and I want to make sure that this is fun for you,” Elle said. Steve nodded, pleased with this answer and Bucky seemed to have finished reading through his packet. 

“We don’t have to raise our hands or anything like that?” he drawled, seemingly bored. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Elle shook her head. 

“No,” she answered, laughing a bit. “And you don’t have to call me Dr. Morgan or ask to go to the bathroom or anything like that. I’m just here to have a conversation with you about what’s happened in the world since the both of you went under,” she finished. “And the next part of today is this survey,” Elle said, handing the both of them the packet she created. “Go ahead and answer these questions to the best of your ability. I want to know what you know so I don’t spend too much time on a topic or skip something you don’t know about.”

The two of them worked in silently and the only noise that could be heard was their breathing and the pens marking paper. Elle read through one of her books while they worked, occasionally checking on them and when they both finished, she took the packets back. 

“I’ll go through these and then formulate the proper lesson plans for next time, but for the rest of today, we’re going to talk about World War II. So tell me, what do you know?” she asked. The remainder of their lesson was spent in discussion. Steve knew a lot more than Bucky did, but both didn’t know the finer details of the conclusion of the war or what immediately followed. Elle went into lecture mode and powered up her laptop and talked them through it, with a slideshow of bullet points and photos to accompany. Steve took notes in a book and Bucky just sat and listened. Elle didn’t care either way, just so long as they actively participated in some way. 

All in all, the first lesson was a success and Steve thanked her for the day before exiting the room. Bucky just left, which made Elle grit her teeth. She didn’t expect flowers or fawning, but at least a ‘goodbye’ would have been nice. Taking a breath, Elle let it roll off her shoulders as she packed up and went down to her office. She looked through their surveys and saw that Steve did in fact know substantially more than Bucky in terms of global affairs. Elle would probably have to do a few lessons with Bucky just one-on-one, which terrified her, but knew he would benefit from it and she couldn’t make Steve sit through lesson after lesson of things he already knew so much about. 

Elle finished the day with their next lesson planned, which was to be two days from then, so she had two days to get her office more set up and maybe get her hands on some of those files Tony had promised her. Before leaving the tower, Elle did make herself a cup of coffee for the road and said goodbye to Tony who was playing a video game in the living room. He made a noise of acknowledgement and Elle laughed quietly to herself. 

Elle made dinner that night when she got home, surprised that Dee wasn’t already there. It wasn’t until Elle had already eaten that she had gotten a text from her roommate. 

_ I’m staying at Ryan’s tonight,  _

_ sorry for not letting you know sooner!  _

_ Have a good night xx _

Smiling, Elle was relieved, knowing that Dee was at least safe. She was excited to have a night alone, which meant she could spread out her work in the living room, something that Dee hated because there was always paper everywhere. Pages upon pages of notes and translated documents and photographs were on every surface, which meant that Dee had to banish herself to her bedroom if she wanted to lounge around or perch on the armrest of the couch. Elle changed into her pajamas and excitedly got to work. A few hours later, Elle was surrounded by books and papers, her reading glasses smudged from them being taken on and off so frequently. 

She worked into the night, not realizing that it was far later than she thought. 

“Oh, shit,” she muttered, looking at the clock. Elle cleaned up her mess and padded into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed her face before braiding her long hair back. Crawling into bed at the end of a long day was Elle’s favorite pastime, enjoying the warmth and softness of her bed. 

The next couple of weeks were spent alternating between between teaching, planning, and going through some of the files she was given by Tony. In their lessons, Steve and Bucky had made it through the end of World War II and the various trials and societal changes that had taken place as a result of it and were now beginning to cover the Red Scare and the 1950s. Elle wasn’t too pleased with the files she had been given, but knew that wasn’t Tony’s fault; they just didn’t contain any useful information she could use in her research. Frustrated because she knew she was at a dead end for the time being, Elle decided to take a break from her project, remembering Dee’s words from a while back. It was time for Elle to take care of herself. So, she closed her laptop and left the tower for the day. 

Armed with her credit card, Elle took to the streets of the city and shopped like she’d never shopped before. She bought skirts, dresses, tops, even some new saucy lingerie, and shoes, oh the shoes! Elle knew she had a problem but as soon as she saw the iconic red-bottoms, it was game over. $695 later, Elle was the proud new owner of the Fifille Louboutin stilettos. She didn’t know where she was going to wear them, but she knew damn well they were for special occasions only. 

A dance store caught her eye next and Elle went in and came out shortly with a pair of baby pink ballet shoes. Her final stop was the hair salon, where Elle had the stylist color her hair a deeper shade of red than she currently was, something more cherry-red than auburn. 

Elle felt like a million bucks stepping out of the salon, her long tresses in soft curls that bounced with every step she took. Dee was right; taking time for yourself was important. Elle hadn’t felt this fantastic in years and it definitely showed in her posture. 

Dee gasped when Elle walked through the door later that night. 

“Oh my god!” she cried. “Your hair! It looks amazing! Elle, wow!” Dee got up and circled around her. 

“That’s not even the best part,” Elle said, setting down her bags and pulling out the Louboutin box. Dee’s eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth. Elle opened the box and carefully put on the shoes, taking a lap through the kitchen. The heels clicked resolutely throughout the apartment and Elle felt her power increase with each step she took. 

“Oh,” Dee moaned, “oh those are so sexy, I’m actually horny right now.” The raven-haired beauty fanned herself dramatically. “This new job of yours is sure treating you right, to be able to afford those.” Elle confirmed the statement by nodding and stepping out of the shoes to put them back safely in their box. 

“I can actually start paying off my student loans in bigger chunks than I’ve ever been able to, Dee. I might actually be debt free within the next couple of years!” she squealed. The two women cheered and hugged each other. 

“I’m so happy for you, babe! That’s awesome,” Dee said, holding Elle close. Elle smiled into the embrace and nodded in agreement. It was awesome. 

Elle arrived at the tower the next morning, dressed to kill; her makeup was flawless and the curls had somehow managed to last through the night. She wore a new lingerie set underneath her new black wrap dress, complete with matching garter belt and thigh high stockings. While she didn’t wear the Louboutins, Elle chose a less expensive pair of black stilettos that made her three inches taller than she naturally was, putting her at a stunning 5’10”. She oozed confidence and would be able to handle Bucky’s sour attitude with no issue. This plan came to a screeching halt when JARVIS spoke to her in her office. 

“Dr. Morgan, I regret to inform you that Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes have been called away to tend to an emergency today. They are expected to be gone for the remainder of the week,” he said. Elle swore. 

“Dammit, uh, thank you, JARVIS,” she said.  _ Well that was a waste _ , she thought to herself in regards to the outfit. Elle played around on her phone for about thirty minutes, trying to decide what to do for the day. She glanced over at her gym bag and nodded in resolve. 

Upstairs in the gym, Elle had slipped on her ballet shoes and began to stretch. Gentle music played in the room, getting her in the right mindset to be graceful. Elle then took to the barre to do some pliés. 

“Your footwork is good, but your posture needs some work,” a smooth voice said. Elle nearly jumped out of her skin and backed against the wall, the barre popping her back painfully. 

“Shit, you scared me,” Elle replied, hand against her pounding heart. Natasha Romanoff quirked her mouth into a grin. 

“Sorry,” she said, not sounding sorry at all. A few seconds went by before Elle straightened and turned to face the redhead. 

“What were you saying about my posture?” she asked. Natasha stepped forward and had Elle get back into position. 

“Your footwork is correct, this is good,” she said, “but your back needs to remain straight when you go up and down for your plié.” Natasha put her hands on either side of Elle, guiding her up and down, making sure her spine was straight the whole time. “Good. Do it again,” she instructed. Elle did pliés with Natasha for a bit longer, until Elle’s legs were quaking. Natasha helped her with some stretches to ease the pain and then had Elle work on arm movements. 

Elle collapsed on the floor, sweating and gasping for breath. Now both her arms and legs felt like jell-o and she knew that the next day would be incredibly painful. 

“I think you broke me,” Elle said eventually. Natasha smirked down at her and handed her a bottle of water. Elle greedily drank and felt droplets roll down her chin. She wiped them away and watched Natasha stretch across from her. 

“You’ll be fine,” she said simply, going into the splits. “Take a few days off to ease your muscles back into it, but I’ll be free on Saturday if you want to come by and do some more work. I haven’t been able to do ballet for a long time and I’ve forgotten how much I’ve missed it,” she admitted, pressing her nose to her knee in a stretch. 

“Sounds good,” Elle said, “does noon work for you?” Natasha hummed in approval, her eyes closed as she moved into the next stretch. Elle remained on the floor and watched Natasha as she worked, occasionally asking what she was doing. Natasha patiently explained what each movement was for, why she did them, and gave her tips on how to do them. Elle watched, fascinated with how graceful she was, hoping to one day get her own body to do the things she did. The next day, was in fact, very painful for Elle, who opted for flats instead of heels and moved like she had the body of a 95-year-old, joints cracking and muscles stiffer than the drinks Tony made, but it made Elle smile nonetheless. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My most recent hyperfixation with Bucky has ended, but I'm still trying to work on this story for y'all, all because I got one review that made my day. I'm glad that you enjoyed it(: And those Louboutin shoes??? Amazing. I love them sooo much. They're simple and classic and just incredible. 
> 
> ~KC

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, welcome to my fic. I was very underwhelmed by my search for Bucky x OFC fics (if you have any good recs, pls send them my way) so I went and wrote my own!  
> I don't have any huge plot plans for this guy, so I'm definitely open to suggestions.  
> Let me know what you think and I'll try to post on a weekly basis!  
> -KC


End file.
